Traeger owners: likes, dislikes

[SouthDakotaBBQ]

Year in and still smokin

I am smoking some pheasant and some duck right now as we speak. I have been using my Traeger BBQ075 Smith and Wesson edition for a year and still use it two to three times a week. I love this unit for anything from ribs to wild game. The pellet feed system and the digital control allow me to smoke and grill anything from pizza to pies. I use this unit to make all of my jerky as well. I can load 30 racks of ribs in this thing and feed 100-150 people at a shot. i have had many parties and done just this with relative ease. Great flavor with all of the different kinds of pellets you can get. I still smoke using my brinkman or my kettle grill from time to time but they really end up just as overflow or warming stations. Great purchase. You will have a bit of a curve once you get one but with some quality time a good thermometer and a few brews you will prevail.

 

[River City Smokehouse]

I like mine and I like the customer service. Good people to deal with.

 

[txschutte]

There is a reason that the Traeger is as widespread as it is. They are great units that are affordable, and the produce good BBQ.

 

[BBQ Grail]

There is a reason that the Traeger is as widespread as it is. They are great units that are affordable, and the produce good BBQ.

I've got a Traeger! With the digital control I am in complete control of the temperature. And because the pellet hopper is mounted on the side of the chamber it's really an off-set.

 

[txschutte]

I've got a Traeger! With the digital control I am in complete control of the temperature. And because the pellet hopper is mounted on the side of the chamber it's really an off-set.

I would love to try out a Traeger again. Seriously. The more pits I can master, the more it solidifies my place as a real BBQ'er. I've grown bored of the ECB.

 

[markbet]

I've got a Traeger! With the digital control I am in complete control of the temperature. And because the pellet hopper is mounted on the side of the chamber it's really an off-set.

"And because the pellet hopper is mounted on the side of the chamber it's really an off-set." LMAO!!!! BBQ Grail, that is a good one!! And true!

 

[Meat Burner]

How do these units work in cold weather and wind? I have been looking a the smaller unit lately and just curious. Looks like a good smoker.

 

[BBQ Grail]

How do these units work in cold weather and wind? I have been looking a the smaller unit lately and just curious. Looks like a good smoker.

I've had no problems with mine. Of course many don't consider California cold...

 

[rcubed3r]

How do these units work in cold weather and wind? I have been looking a the smaller unit lately and just curious. Looks like a good smoker.

I have no issues with temp swings during wind and rain, it just uses more pellets. I have a digital controller.
If you only have the lo/med/hi selector though, your temps will vary with the ambient, but it'll use the same amount of pellets.

Run

 

[txschutte]

FatBoyz uses Traegers exclusively. His Q is great. I had my doubts with the thinner upper housing metal, but the Wisconsin cold doesn't seem to phase it.

 

[Meat Burner]

If it works Is Wisconsin, it should be fine in MO. I use the UDS when it is nasty outside without much issues. One of these would be a sweet compliment to the family. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[SouthDakotaBBQ]

No Fear of the weather

Where I live we have huge temp swings and a day without wind whatever. I have the digital control and the as said before the only difference in the cook is the amount of pellets used. I also use the (fireproof) insulation blanket when it is snowing or I am using the cold smoker attachment on a really cold day. I love smoking salmon or cheese in the cold smoker box. It was rainy and 30 deg yesterday and I smoked a mess of pheasant and duck. They came out fantastic. My wife and kids loved them. Today it is 39 deg and i am smoking a brisket for dinner tonight. We can see days that hit 80 in the winter and it has snowed a foot on the fourth of July more than once. So go for it and you will be happy.

 

[Meat Burner]

Thanks for the info South. Our weather is a little more forgiving. If it snowed here on the 4th of July I would know then end of the world was at hand. LOL Where did you gangster the fireproof blanket?

 

[MillerTime]

Thanks for the info South. Our weather is a little more forgiving. If it snowed here on the 4th of July I would know then end of the world was at hand. LOL Where did you gangster the fireproof blanket?

This is an option as well.

http://www.grillkozey.com/

 

[Meat Burner]

Thanks MillerTime. The Traeger looks like this would be a real benefit. I like what I am hearing about these smokers.

 

[Mo-Dave]

Where I live we have huge temp swings and a day without wind whatever. I have the digital control and the as said before the only difference in the cook is the amount of pellets used. I also use the (fireproof) insulation blanket when it is snowing or I am using the cold smoker attachment on a really cold day. I love smoking salmon or cheese in the cold smoker box. It was rainy and 30 deg yesterday and I smoked a mess of pheasant and duck. They came out fantastic. My wife and kids loved them. Today it is 39 deg and i am smoking a brisket for dinner tonight. We can see days that hit 80 in the winter and it has snowed a foot on the fourth of July more than once. So go for it and you will be happy.

I lived is Rapid City for about 15 years, got there by way of Ellsworth AFB and I know first hand of the fast pace weather changes. Nothing to see a foot of snow in the morning only to have it completely gone by noon and the ground starting to crack from the extremely dry humidity. Went fishing on the 4th of July out in the bad lands close to Wall, it was around 100 that day but dropped to 4 degrees above. Nothing but tee shirts and shorts, it was almost noon before I could hold my fishing pole steady. But I loved smoked trout.
Dave

 

[Yambor44]

I heard the fuel usage is about 1 pound per hour when smoking at about 225. Is this about right?

 

[rcubed3r]

I heard the fuel usage is about 1 pound per hour when smoking at about 225. Is this about right?

maybe when it's colder out.
at 225, I am closer to 1/2 or 3/4 pound per hour, while around 55 and up ambient.

If your question or concern is about pellet costs per cook, definitely look into ordering pellets in bulk. Even after shipping they will come out much cheaper than buying retail. I recently split 1000 pounds of BBQr's Delight pellets with a couple of my buddies, and it ended up costing us around 40 or 42 cents per pound. These pellets are much more flavorful then the retail Traeger pellets I was buying.

Ron

 

[jestridge]

Just something else to screw up. Meat were made to be cook over wood coal. Think I read that in the Bible

 

[NewEnglandQ]

How do these units work in cold weather and wind? I have been looking a the smaller unit lately and just curious. Looks like a good smoker.

I have the digital controller and the only difference I notice between summer and winter is the smoke setting. If I set it at 225 or 250 it stays right around there regardless of the weather. If I put it on smoke setting it stays around 180 when it is warmer out and around 150 when it is cold.